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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Calin said: "<FONT face="Times New =
Roman"
size=3>In that case, I =<BR>would say preserving as much of the =
original
substance as possible is =<BR>the priority. You don't want to turn =
it into a
modern piano, but make it =<BR>sound the was it was supposed to in =
the
1850's."</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>Calin,</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT face="Times New Roman" =
size=3>First I would
have to take MAJOR exception with your comment, in your previous post, =
that
Americans don't have respect for Tradition! Many do not, but a large
percentage of Technicians, that I've met and talked with, DO! I for =
one have
such "Respect". However, in this post you say it will sound like it =
did when
it was built, ONLY if you use the original sound board. To that I say
B.S.!</FONT></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial color=#000080 size=2>Joe, first of =
all you make a
confusion, I didn't make the comments about American respect for =
tradition. That
another person, check the previous e-mails.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial color=#000080 =
size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial color=#000080 size=2>And I didn't =
mean to say it
will sound the way it did ONLY with the original soundboard. I =
meant it is
good to preserve the original substance (if possible and reasonable - =
that is,
not damaged beyond repair) because it is a historical instrument. I =
think in
such cases it is more important to preserve the original work and
materials.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial color=#000080 size=2>If one wants =
to really have
it sound like new, just make a copy of it, carefully measuring the =
original and
using the same materials. You would probably get quite =
close.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial color=#000080 size=2>I really =
don't approve of
discarding soundboards from historically significant instruments. That =
doesn't
include the average Steinway, Bechstein or whatever piano made in =
the last
100 years or so, there are hundreds of those out there, which can be =
modified
without any concerns for destroying historically significant =
instruments. But a
very early piano is a different thing, which needs to be preserved, not
modernized.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial color=#000080 size=2>Imagine one =
would put a new
soundboard and make a new string scale for an original Cristofori =
piano... what
would that be?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial color=#000080 size=2>That's how I =
see
things.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT face="Times New Roman" =
size=3>I just
finished a complete Restoration of an 1867 Chickering, 8', flat strung =
Grand.
If I had used the original board, it would have sounded like
crap!!!</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT face="Times New Roman" =
size=3>Although, I'm
sure, that originally the piano sounded as it does now, with a new =
board and
judicious scale improvements that HAVE to be done, as our current =
supply of
bass string supplies do not allow an "exact" replacement. Also, If I'm =
going
to go to all that trouble, why the hell would I want to put the =
"assembly
line" screw ups back in the piano? The end result, I am sure, for the
Chickering is a slightly improved end result than the original, but =
not to the
point of destroying the essence of what the original intent/sound was. =
</FONT></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial color=#000080 size=2>Well, =
slightly improved is
not original. I'm not saying that you shouldn't do that, Just that it's =
not as
it was originally any more.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial color=#000080 size=2>I would =
probably do the same
with most pianos, except a few which have some significance and deserve =
to be
kept unchanged.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT face="Times New Roman" =
size=3>This same
thinking is now prevelant regarding the "restoration" of Steinways. =
It's crap
and Steinway knows it, but they persist with this: "if it doesn't have =
all
original Steinway parts than it isn't a Steinway" garbage. I'm old =
enough to
know what a new steinway sounded like when it was new, back 4 decades. =
It sure
as hell didn't sound like the #%%^^* CRAP that is touted as the =
"Heritage"
line they espouse to!</FONT></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial color=#000080 size=2>Now you are =
straying quite
far from the subject. I don't buy the "original parts" thing either, =
since
Steinway doesn't make all the parts, but buys them from Renner and other =
makers.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT face="Times New Roman" =
size=3>Too often
Technicians think that the original maker knew what he was doing and =
achieved
his end goal, on every piano he manufactured! =
Hogwash!</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT face="Times New Roman" =
size=3>If the board
is shot, in terms of the cellular structure of the wood, it's SHOT! It =
needs
to be replaced. Whether a tech chooses to do it the way the original =
maker
did, OR make the end product capable of lasting Longer and sounding =
Better,
than the original, than so be it. I, for one, chose to TRY to maintain =
the
original INTENT of the maker, if that is possible, but I sure as hell =
am not
going to waste my time REPRODUCING mistakes and
crap!</FONT></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial color=#000080 size=2>Your approach =
works for most
pianos. But remember that in some instruments (and just a few) it is =
better to
preserve whatever mistake the maker made. Because it's more important =
for people
to be able to experience them in their original state.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial color=#000080 =
size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial color=#000080 =
size=2>Regards,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial color=#000080 =
size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial color=#000080 size=2> Calin
Tantareanu<BR>----------------------------------------------------<BR>&nb=
sp;<A
href="http://calin.1L.com">http://calin.1L.com</A><BR>-----------------=
-----------------------------------</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>